Yoga’s Benefits on Your Brain & Emotions

Here are some changes in our brain, our way of thinking and perception that happen.

1. Attending Yoga Classes Lifts Up Your Mood

Yoga has similar effects to exercise.

During yoga, the body releases hormones that help improve mood and lowers stress. This is why many feel happier after a class.

Besides doing poses, yoga includes meditation and breathing. The latter two help improve focus and mindfulness.

A Boston University study compared its effects walking. Their focus was to see which improved mood, anxiety and GABA levels more. GABA, or Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, is a neurotransmitter. It helps calm your brain down. It also works to regulate anxiety.

After 12 weeks, the yoga group had bigger improvements in mood and anxiety.

To check for GABA levels, the scientists used magnetic resonance spectroscopy scans. These scans showed increased thalamic GABA levels in the yoga group.

Also, the study links the improvements in mood and anxiety to the higher GABA levels.

Here, 1 hour weekly sessions of hatha yoga improved stress and anxiety levels. The 10 week program also helped participants be more relaxed.

4. Yoga Helps Fight Depression

Depression affects over 15 million adults in the U.S.

The condition carries the most burden among mental and behavioral disorders. This is according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The worse thing about it is it takes away the most years out of our lives.

Depression is often linked to illness and disease. The thing is, it can be caused by many different things.

For anyone with depressive symptoms, yoga can help you be more active. It also aids in reducing your feelings of depression.

The GABA neurotransmitter we mentioned earlier is linked to depression and anxiety. Scientists found that lower GABA levels are associated with depression.

For their study, they relied on specialized MRI machines. These devices let them measure GABA levels in the brain of teenagers with depression.

The team then compared the teens’ scans with those who weren’t depressed. This led them to discover that the depressed teens had lower levels of GABA.

Yoga helps decrease feelings of depression. It does this in part by boosting GABA levels.

A study by UCLA researchers used 5 weeks of Iyengar yoga to test this. They found that yoga reduced symptoms in adults with mild levels of depression.

The classes focused on postures believed to help reduce depression. This included inversions, backbends and standing poses.

In the end, participants reported less depressive symptoms and anxiety. They also had more positive moods and lower levels of negative mood.

5. It Gives You A More Positive Outlook on Life

Having a positive outlook and mood helps you be happier. More importantly, it makes you healthier.

According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, being positive is healthy for everyone.

It reduces your chances of getting sick. Plus, it protects against diseases like diabetes and hypertension.

The institution also notes the importance of emotional vitality. This includes having the feeling of enthusiasm and being hopeful.

Together, these help us cope with stresses in life. Additionally, it provides us with emotional balance.

Harvard professor Shawn Achor, an expert in positive psychology, says it is vital. He notes that 75% of predicting one’s success at work relies on optimistic behavior. That is, the ability to see challenges as a way to improve. And, having a positive support system.

Yoga helps foster the 4 important attributes. All 4 are essential for a happier, healthier life.

Emotional vitality or that sense of enthusiasm

Optimism

Social support

Self-regulation ability

Here’s some proof.

Researchers collected data from 312 participants during a week-long free yoga camp. Analysis of the data showed that integrative yoga practices have many positive effects.

An experiment done at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons proves this. They found that yogic breathing helps shift one’s balance from the sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous system.

This helps relieve stress.

The reason is that our sympathetic nervous is related to our stress and anxieties. Our parasympathetic nervous system meanwhile, is what calms our stress response systems.

A Boston University study also notes that yoga increases our brain’s GABA levels. This results in a calming effect that helps improve our mood.

For their experiment, they compared yoga and reading. This allowed them to see which activity affected GABA levels more.

Surprisingly, reading for 1 hour didn’t have any effects on GABA. But, a similar 1 hour yoga session increased GABA levels by 27%.

8. Yoga Practitioners are Happier

Want to cheer yourself up?

Skip the fridge.

Try yoga instead.

Yoga improves our mood and upping our GABA levels. Plus, it has other positive effects on our brain as well.

It affects the area of the brain that’s associated with having a more positive outlook.

10. Yoga Improves Emotional Resilience

These specially trained individuals are always ready to handle physical and mental challenges.

Resilience or having “grit” is the best predictor of success. This is according to University of Pennsylvania researcher Angela Lee Duckworth.

It gives you the ability to see things through, even in tough times. This way you’re ready for the long haul.

Duckworth observed this by analyzing West Point Military Academy students. She learned that grit was a better predictor of success. It was better than SAT scores, class rank, leadership ability and physical aptitude.

Yoga also helps develop our level of resilience. It does so by fostering tolerance to stress and emotional well-being.

Participants in the yoga group saw improved mood profiles and positive psychological attitudes. Yoga allowed them to cope better with work stress. And, they did so with more composure, confidence, and a clearer mind.

The good news is, anyone can use yoga to be more resilient to stress. This is true for when you’re at work, or at home.

It helps you cope with relationship stress as well. These include dealing with your boss or in family life.

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